Bye Bye Red Devils

I’m in football heaven with the World Cup, as are supporters of the teams still in the competition, and fans in general. Not surprisingly, ABC and ESPN have completely shied away from the controversial aspects of the Brazil World Cup, the huge amount of money invested to host the competition and what this has meant for the poor, workers, and favela dwellers; the excessive corporate glitz and glitter; and the dubious stature of FIFA. The competition on the field has been intriguing to watch. Before the tournament began I picked Belgium, with the Netherlands a close second. I didn’t believe Belgium would win the tournament, but I thought they had a good chance of reaching the semifinals.

After today’s matches I only have the Netherlands to support. Belgium played a mediocre game against Argentina, managing only one shot on target, and my favorite player, Eden Hazard, made no impact on the match at all. Hazard is a tremendous talent, but as Chelsea fans saw during the English Premier season, he can inexplicably go missing or appear disinterested. The positive news for Belgium is that they are a young side that will improve, and four years from now, who knows? More experienced Argentina showed they know how to win. That know-how is what Belgium lack.

I wasn’t surprised that the Dutch dominated Costa Rica in terms of possession, shots, shots on target, and corners taken. What I didn’t expect was for the Dutch to be held goalless for 120 minutes. Arjen Robben looked dangerous for the Dutch almost every time he touched the ball, slashing and cutting past defenders, drawing fouls; Robin Van Persie and Wesley Sneijder also played well, making scoring chances for themselves. Sneijder hit the woodwork twice. Credit Costa Rica for playing disciplined and spirited defense, forcing the match to penalty kicks where anything can happen.

Four big teams, two European and two South American, and three matches remain. Brazil will face Germany without Neymar Jr. and Thiago Silva. The Dutch have to devise a plan to impede Lionel Messi and break down Argentina’s defense. 

I can’t wait for next Tuesday and Wednesday.